Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was the original 'kingmaker'. A prominent member of the English aristocracy in the 15th century, Warwick was a member of a powerful family. It was he who provided the necessary support for Richard, Duke of York, to challenge for the throne of England, and for RICHARD'S son, Edward, to overthrow … Continue reading KINGMAKER
When Allan B. Calhamer invented Diplomacy, he invented a game that was designed to be played at home, between friends and family, as a fun way to spend an evening... or a day, more likely. Over time, the way Dip has been played has changed; more games are played online today than any other way. … Continue reading House Rules – the Timestream of the Hobby
Diplomacy is a game of relationships, trust, cooperation and, well, diplomacy. As such, it is somewhat surprising that one of the most popular variants appears to lack all of these things. Gunboat Diplomacy is a game in which there is no communication between players. Instead, players simply command their units on the board and try … Continue reading Gunboat Diplomacy
"If it's not in the rules, it's not against the rules." When Allan B Calhamer produced the prototype for Diplomacy, which he called Realpolitik, he soon realised that the rules, and the game, needed to improve. This was, as it should be for any game in development, the result of extensive game play. Diplomacy was … Continue reading The Flying Dutchman
I mostly love coming up with names for alliances. There's no point to it other than a bit of fun. The Elephant and Whale alliance is a different kind of alliance, though. Most names alliances include specific powers. The JUGGERNAUT ALLIANCE is between Russia and Turkey (not my name). It indicates that they can steamroll … Continue reading The Elephant and Whale Alliance
Very simply, in Diplomacy the deadline is the time by which your orders have to be submitted. But what deadline lengths are there? What happens if you don't get your orders in on time? And which deadlines are best for a Dip game? Deadline Length Let's start with the FACE-TO-FACE game, the way it was … Continue reading Deadlines
There are a philosophies about playing Diplomacy. Calhamerism is one philosophy. Named after the game's inventor, Allan B Calhamer, it might be described as playing Diplomacy the way Calhamer designed it to be played. Calhamer described some aspects of Diplomacy in a number of articles that can be found in the Diplomacy Archive. There are … Continue reading Calhamerism
A BLOOD PACT IS A FORM OF ALLIANCE THAT INVOLVES THE ALLIES STICKING WITH EACH OTHER UNTIL THE ENDGAME WHEN ONE OF THEM WILL GO ON TO WIN, OFTEN WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE OTHER. Let's be honest, here, alliances are a key part of Diplomacy. There are seven players; you're not going to win … Continue reading The Blood Pact
Arena Diplomacy is any competitive game of Diplomacy played as part of a tournament or a league. I don't know about you but, for me, any game of Diplomacy should be competitive. Well, with the exception of a learning or demo game, I guess. And certainly I get that a HOUSE GAME should be played … Continue reading Arena Diplomacy
I came to the conclusion a while ago that it would be a good idea to start a project that would help novices to Diplomacy to understand the game and the Hobby, and the metalanguage associated with them. The idea, of course, is to help people understand a little more about Diplomacy. When you see … Continue reading The Diptionary Launches
THE DIPTIONARY 